This Moment

Because people, smiles, and laughter, more than anything else, is truly what makes a house a home, here's this week "this moment"...

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." -SouleMama

This Moment

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." -SouleMama

This Moment

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." -SouleMama

This Moment

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." -SouleMama

Happy Mother's Day

I love being a mother!

Monet was never much of a sleeper the first nine months of her life.  Each night she would awake every 2-4 hours.  Often Monet and I would co-sleep just to maximize sleep time and minimize moving back and forth between our rooms.  And while I am happy to report that Monet is now sleeping through the night, I must confess that I miss our nightly cuddles.  It seems that the short 15 minutes that I rock her to sleep each night, just isn't enough.

The flu bug has recently jumped from one member of my family to the next.  I was the last to catch the bug and was home sick the last couple days of this week.  On Thursday morning Monet woke early like she always does.  I guess she didn't get the memo about me having the flu.  I couldn't muster up the energy to get out of bed quite yet, so Monet and I just played in bed for about an hour.  Over time Monet was able to tell that something was up with mommy.  She played very gently and kept laying her head on my shoulder, as if to give me a hug.  Repeatedly she would pop up with a huge smile, play for a short while, and then go back to hugging.  After an hour of this, Monet cuddled in next to me and the two of us fell back to sleep.  And in the midst of a fever, body aches, and other unmentionables, at that moment my day could not have been any better.

And there we have the life of a mother.  Though motherhood can be extremely difficult, it is full of perfect little moments like this one.

Here are some moments from yesterday showing our happy and finally healthy family playing in the yard.

Happy Mother's Day!

This Moment

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." -SouleMama

This Moment

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." -SouleMama

This Moment

"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." -SouleMama

Laughs at Dinner Time

I couldn't stop laughing last night at dinner time.  Monet had part of her dinner stuck to her nose and for the longest time she had no idea.  Josh and I were laughing hysterically and Monet just kept smiling, pretending she understood the joke.

At the end of the night, Snickers (the dog) wanted to get in on the fun.  He helped to clean Monet up before I got to her with the wash-rag.  This is the only time you will ever see Snickers pay attention to Monet, when she has food.  Monet on the other hand loves Snickers.  She is constantly mustering up the energy to crawl his way and say hi, no matter how far he is.  And as soon as she arrives, Snicker walks the other away.  This pattern then continues, from room to room Monet will follow Snickers, Snickers leaving the minute she arrives. 

And who says kids and pets aren't fun?  

If you have a funny dinner time story or picture, please share it with us today.  You can add your comments and/or links below.

Happy Monday!

A Simple Afternoon Craft Project: Etched Glass

If your looking for a simple project that yields quick and easy results, I would suggest that you try your hand at etching glass.

Step 1:  Gather your supplies.

Etching Paste (found at many craft stores)

A brush

A stencil with adhesive backing (I used sticker paper you can put through a printer and used a picture of my daughter Monet as the stencil, then I simply cut out the shapes with an X-acto knife.  Contact paper also works well.  Many stencils and silhouettes can also be found online if you don't want to bother with making your own design.  You can even find pre-cut stencils at many craft stores right by the etching paste.)

Something made of glass

Step 2:  Apply the adhesive stencil to the glass

Step 3:  Liberally apply etching cream to the open parts of the stencil.  I suggest putting on two layers.  Apply the first coat brushing up and down and the second coat going left to right to assure coverage.

Step 4:  Wait five minutes

Step 5:  Rinse thoroughly with warm water, remove the stencil and enjoy.

Please note that the etching paste is toxic and precautions should be taken to keep it off of your skin and away from your eyes.  You might also want to put down some newspaper to catch any spills.  Read all directions and warnings on the bottle of etching paste before you begin.

Other Projects:

- Joshua Flicker

Foreign Ceramicists Invade The Heartland

While earning my BFA at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, I had the amazing opportunity to visit the Studio of Jun Kaneko. Actually, I should probably say I visited the studios (plural) of Jun Kaneko located in downtown Omaha.  He owns at least two giant warehouse buildings with different floors dedicated to his different crafts.  Floor one, ceramics.  Floor two, glass.  Floor three painting and drawing, etc. etc. etc.

When walking in to his studio you can't help but admire the massive work produced by this man.  I use the word massive to describe not only size, but also volume and scope.  When you step in you will see multiple clay sculptures approximately 6-12 feet tall built on pallets so they may be moved with a fork lift.  His ceramics monoliths are so large that they must be dried for over 6 months and the firing process can take upwards of eleven days. Keep going on through his warehouse and you will see paintings that would each fill your wall from floor to ceiling arranged in what looks like a filing cabinet for giants.  Wonder a little further and you might see stacks of drawings dedicated to storyboards and costume design for the opera "Madame Butterfly."  All this massive work pouring from a small Japanese man who maybe just hits the five foot mark.

Visiting Jun's studio greatly inspired me and I urge you to see what he is up to on youtube or by visiting his site at junekaneko.com

Just recently I stumbled upon another foreigner who somehow emerged within the Nebraska art scene though it was after I had abandoned the cornfields to return to the mountains.  Gerit Grimm's whimsical approach to ceramics may starkly contrast the seriousness of June Kaneko's but I find her work inspiring none the less.  Who knew that the main tool of a sculptor of figurines could be the potter's wheel?  Check out Gerits recent work on youtube or at netNebraska.org. You can also check out her website though it seems like it hasn't been updated with much since 2006.  http://www.geritgrimm.com/

Keep the foreigners coming Nebraska.

On a side note,  it looks like the matching puzzle competition we made for our last post still does not have a winner.  Give it a shot and you could win a life sized poster of our daughter Monet.  Or maybe something else a little more useful, similar to what you might find at the Artists' House Etsy Shop.

Happy Scrolling - Homemade Accordion Fold Book

This is an accordion-fold book I made for my daughter Monet to help her know her family and how they are all connected to her despite distance. It measures about 20 feet long.  If you have a strong scroll finger feel free to check out the whole length of the book. You may also want to turn your computer 90 degrees counter clockwise to get the best effect.  I apologize in advance for the seams.  -Joshua

Happy Scrolling...

Check out our blog later this week for a tutorial on accordion-fold bookmaking.